Dongchimi is a type of kimchi made with Korean radish, napa cabbage, scallions, pickled green chilli, ginger, Korean pear, and watery brine in Korean cuisine. The name dong (hangul: 동; hanja: 冬; literally “winter”) and chimi (hangul: 치미, an old word for kimchi) mean that this kimchi is usually consumed during the winter season.
Dongchimi is fermented in the same way as other types of kimchi, but it matures quickly (2-3 days). Although it may be produced at any time of year, it is typically prepared during the gimjang season. Dongchimi is also very popular in North Korea’s northern areas, which include Hamgyeong-do and Pyeongan-do.
The clear and clean taste of the watery dongchimi is used as a soup for producing dongchimi guksu (a cold noodle soup prepared with dongchimi) and naengmyeon. You can also pair it with tteok or steamed sweet potatoes to balance off the rich tastes.
WHAT IS DONGCHIMI?
Dongchimi is a mild, water-based kimchi. During kimjang (kimchi-making season), it is normally produced in late October with a little kind of white radish known as dongchimi mu and eaten in the winter. The term dongchimi translates to “winter water kimchi”.
Dongchimi is traditionally cooked with entire radishes but takes many weeks to develop. This is a short variant, also known as “summer dongchimi” in Korea.
You chop the radishes into little pieces to allow for fast salting and maturation. In the summer, bubbles will also rise through the brine after two days at room temperature, indicating vigorous fermentation.
During fermentation, good bacteria, acidity, and sweetness emerge, resulting in a tangy, refreshing broth with wonderfully pickled radish.
This kimchi helps digestion because it contains a digestive enzyme (diastase), which is abundant in radishes, which is why it matches particularly well with meat dishes or starch-rich meals like rice cakes.
The broth (국물) works well as a soup basis for cold noodles like naengmyeon (냉면) and dongchimi guksu (동치미 국수).
WHAT DOES DONGCHIMI TASTE LIKE?
In summary, dongchimi tastes like a light and delicious cold transparent soup.
Obviously, you can taste the somewhat bittersweet flavor of radishes. (The strength of these features will differ from radish to radish.) However, when these radishes are coupled with a sweet and salty brine, the fruity and savory aromas are enhanced.
Dongchimi that has been fermented properly should have a somewhat salty, sweet, and tangy flavor. Let’s not forget that certain radishes are inherently spicy, so you could detect this flavor in your dongchimi soup.
Some tips from the kitchen
- Dongchimi is often cooked with fresh Korean radish, which can be difficult to get out of season. When shopping for Korean radishes, look for ones with a bigger green bottom. They tend to be a lot sweeter!
- Some dongchimi recipes do not combine the “brine” components, but instead add them whole. Personally, we prefer to combine it and squeeze out as much moisture as possible with a cheesecloth. If you don’t have cheesecloth, you may use a sieve or leave the ingredients intact.
- Red chili peppers provide a hint of fire to the radish water kimchi. These are completely optional! The final result will still be moderate. If you don’t like a little spice, use Korean green peppers instead.
- Dongchimi can stay in the fridge for a month or two, depending on how cold it is. It really improves over time! Dongchimi that is two to three weeks old is the sweet spot for me; anything older is a little sour.
Why make Dongchimi?
Firstly, it is not as hot as the typical Napa Cabbage Kimchi.
It contains no fish sauce or shrimp paste but they are common allergens for many people.
It’s simple to make and keeps well in the fridge!
Lastly, the most difficult aspect of preparing this meal is that Asians do not measure their ingredients.
What is Korean Radish?
Korean radish, or Mu, is the star of this cuisine. It looks like an oblong radish with white at the bottom and green around the top. It is hard and crisp when chopped, but it may be consumed raw or fermented.
Mu is beneficial for the gut, so in addition to preserving them, it may be used in a variety of soups, including Hangover Soup, Beef and Radish Soup, and Soybean Paste Stew. It also adds a pleasant flavor to the soup, which many Koreans like drinking for comfort and healing.
Ingredients
To make 1 gallon of radish water kimchi, you will need:
- 2 pounds peeled radish (white or Korean radish), thinly cut into discs. Radish is the most significant element in dongchimi.
- 3 teaspoons of kosher salt.
For the apple broth
- 1 to 1½ pounds delicious apples, cored and sliced into bits.
- 1 big onion, chopped into bits
- 1 teaspoon flour, optional 14 cups water + ¼ cup water
- 3 teaspoons of kosher salt.
For the seasoning pouch
2 chopped green chili peppers, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon peeled ginger, as well as 2 teaspoons hot pepper flakes (gochu-garu).
Dongchimi Broth
The brine is just a mixture of water, sea salt, and new sugar. New sugar is a form of sweetener that takes very little and may already provide a sweet flavor to offset the saltiness.
To make it even more flavorful, we’ll add ginger, garlic, jalapeño, onion, and scallion to the kimchi. There are actually two ways to go about this: chop them or place them in a bag.
The simplest option is to cut these veggies and add them immediately to the radish. They are also excellent when fermented.However, if you want to isolate it and make cleaner radish kimchi, cut these aromatics in half, throw them in a teabag, and add them to the container to steep. This way, you’ll only take up the radish when it’s ready to use.
Some people enjoy adding Korean pear or fuji apple to their kimchi to give it a natural sweetness.
That is it! It’s as simple as slicing the radish, salting it, and making the brine as well as other ingredients. You will then mix everything in a kimchi container or jar.
The brine may get excessively salty at this stage, but you must trust the process. While fermenting, the radish will continue to water down, producing a wonderfully balanced sweet, tart, and refreshing broth.
Dongchimi Recipe
- Firstly, in a large bowl, combine the radish with 3 teaspoons of salt. Mix well and transfer to a 1 gallon glass jar or plastic container. Allow it to rest for at least two hours to salt.
- In a large saucepan, bring 14 cups of water to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Place the apple, onion, and flour (if using) in a food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer the purée to a saucepan of boiling water. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool completely.
- Line a big colander with a cotton sheet or double-folded cheesecloth. Place the strainer over a big basin and pour the apple mixture through the cloth lined sieve. Bring the edges of the cloth together and twist to form a package with the leftover pulp and liquid. Squeeze it tightly to extract as much liquid as possible.
- Discard the pulp that remains in the cloth. Add 3 tablespoons of salt and mix with a wooden spoon.
- Tie the green chili pepper, garlic, ginger, and hot pepper flakes together in a double-folded cheesecloth bag (or broth pouch).Chopping green chili peppers.
- Pour the broth into the jar of salted radish.
- Immerse the flavor packet in the stock and press until the broth becomes orange and the garlic, ginger, and green chili pepper have absorbed. Leave it in the jar with the lid on.
Fermentation
Allow it to remain at room temperature for 2-3 days until fermented. The fermentation period is determined by room temperature; the warmer your kitchen, the faster it will ferment. When the kimchi ferments, it smells and tastes sour. Refrigerate and serve cold.
Serve as a side dish with rice. To serve, remove some radish disks and chop them into bite-sized pieces or matchsticks before transferring to a bowl. Lastly, add some broth and serve.
Dongchimi Noodles
Spicy DongchimiGuksu Recipe
Ingredients
- 100 g (3.5 oz) of thin noodles (somyeon).
- Cut 1 cup of dongchimi radish into thin matchsticks and combine with 1 teaspoon Korean hot pepper flakes (gochugaru), ½ teaspoon sugar, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil.
- ½ cup of cucumber, sliced into matchsticks.
- 2 cups Dongchimi broth
- 1 cup water
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons vinegar
- 3 tablespoons kimchi liquid
- half hard-boiled egg.
Directions
- Firstly, combine the dongchimi broth, water, kosher salt, sugar, vinegar, and kimchi juice in a bowl. Place in the freezer for 2-3 hours, until slushy.
- Cook the noodles in a big saucepan for a few minutes. Rinse with cold water a few times and drain.
- Put the noodles into a large serving dish.
- Pour the cold, slushy broth over the noodles.
- Add radish, cucumber, and a half hard-boiled egg.
- Finally, sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top and serve immediately.
Non-spicy Dongchimi Guksu Recipe
Ingredients
- 100 g (3.5 oz) of thin noodles (somyeon).
- 1 cup dongchimi radish, sliced into thin matchsticks.
- Cut 1/2 cup of cucumber into matchsticks. Set aside.
- 2 cups Dongchimi broth
- 1 cup water.
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 ts vinegar
- half hard-boiled eggs.
Directions
- Combine dongchimi broth, water, kosher salt, sugar, and vinegar in a bowl. Place in the freezer for 2-3 hours, until slushy.
- Cook the noodles in a big saucepan for a few minutes. Rinse with cold water a few times and drain.
- Put the noodles into a large serving dish.
- Pour the cold, slushy broth over the noodles.
- Add radish, cucumber, and a half hard-boiled egg.
- Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top and serve immediately.
HOW TO SERVE DONGCHIMI
Combine dongchimi broth, water, kosher salt, sugar, and vinegar in a bowl. Place in the freezer for 2-3 hours, until slushy.
Dongchimi can be served as a side dish to a main dinner. However, many people prefer it as an appetizer.
Dongchimi pairs nicely with Korean BBQ, especially spicy varieties (such as dakgalbi – Spicy Korean chicken). Many Korean BBQ establishments provide dongchimi as a free side dish.
Dongchimi is also popular among Koreans when served with boiled or baked sweet potatoes and porridge. Apparently it aids digestion!
Finally, you may utilise fermented dongchimi broth to make Korean cold noodle soup. I’ll teach you how over the following few months.
Dongchimi Health Benefits
Dehydrated? Feeling nauseous? Stomach pains? Headache? Dongchimi is the solution. This fermented radish water kimchi is loaded with electrolytes and good bacteria, which your body loves when you’re not feeling well. The juice produced from radishes is sweet, tart, salty, and, most importantly, refreshing.
Dongchimi is typically served as an appetizer or palate cleanser before a substantial dinner, but it also makes an excellent mild broth basis for cold soups and side dishes. I normally keep dongchimi in my fridge at all times; it may survive for a month or two depending on how cold it is!
Dongchimi, a Korean radish water kimchi, offers several possible health advantages.
- Dongchimi is frequently referred to as a “natural digestive medicine” due to its high pectin content, which promotes intestinal workout and waste removal. The major component, white radish, also helps with digestion. Dongchimi brine has been utilized as a traditional treatment for indigestion and stomach pain.
- Weight loss: Dongchimi is low in calories and high in dietary fiber, which can aid in dieting.
- Dongchimi may help prevent ageing and cancer.
- Dongchimi may heal DNA that has been damaged by the hardox radical.
Dongchimi also contains other ingredients that may have health benefits, including:
- Radishes- Contain diastase, an enzyme that breaks down carbohydrates, and lipase, an enzyme that breaks down fat.
- Peppers- Contain beta-carotene and other antioxidants that may help reduce inflammation.
- Garlic- Contains compounds that may protect against cancer.
FAQs
What is the benefit of dongchimi?
Answer: Stomach pains? Headache? Dongchimi is the solution. This fermented radish water kimchi is loaded with electrolytes and good bacteria, which your body loves when you’re not feeling well.
Does dongchimi go bad?
Ans: Kimchi never goes bad. True, it soured as it fermented, but it doesn’t indicate anything went wrong. It just indicates that it may get excessively sour for your own preferences.
What if my dongchimi is too salty?
Ans: If the brine is very salty, add extra water to dilute. It should be somewhat salty to consume as is. Leave it out at room temperature for a day or two until bubbles appear in the brine. Taste again and add more salt as needed, or more water if it’s too salty.
How long does dongchimi last?
Answer: Dongchimi should keep for 3 to 4 weeks when refrigerated. If you don’t mind the sour flavor, you can store it for longer.